Life saving waders



Nov. 3, 1964 c. A. ANDERSON 3,154,800

LIFE SAVING WADDERS Filed Feb. 18, 1963 IN VEN TOR. CARL AR THUR ANDERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,300 LIFE SAVING WADERS Carl Arthur Anderson, 234 Dean St., Providence, RI. Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,166 2 Claims. (Cl. 9-343) The present invention relates to life-preserving appliances and more particularly to a pair of Waders with a pair of built in air equalizing pockets for supporting the wearer in an upright manner if the wearer trips while Walking in a stream.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved garment of water-proof material in the form of a pair of waders which envelopes the lower limbs and the body of the wearer for protection against exposure and for supporting the wearer in an upright manner with his head above the water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of waders with a plurality of chest high pockets or cells in both the front portion and rear portion of the waders; each portion having a common air path between pockets and air equalizing orifices between pockets.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide life-saving waders which are simple and substantial in construction, which may be manufactured economically, and which will be thoroughly efficient and practical in use.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and Claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the new and improved lifesaving waders.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the air pocket section of the upper portion of the Waders.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view through the air pockets and taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, and taken through the bleeder holes, on line 4-l of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross sectional view through a bleeder hole and taken on line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical cross sectional view through an air pocket and taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 10 designates the torso or body enclosing portion of the waders having attached or formed as an integral part thereof the leg portions 11, which extend downwardly and also form the foot enclosing portions 12.

At the arm pit portions 13, 13A of the main body portion 19 are attached shoulder straps 14, 14A, which may be formed with the same material forming the body portion 19.

In the front and rear sections of the garment and on sides opposite each other of the main body portion 1% extending from the area above the navel 9 to the arm pits are a plurality of air pockets or air cells. The air pockets are constructed in the following manner: The normal top of the garment is extended in th form of a front flap 15 and a rear flap 16 above the marginal top edge 21 of the main body portion 10.

The rear flap 16 and the air pocket construction is clearly seen in FIGURE 2. The longitudinal edges 22, 23, 24, 31, 32 and 33 of the rear flap 16 are fastened to the main body 16 by means of an adhesive. The sections are divided into a plurality of longitudinal pockets or cells, illustrated as four in number, A, B, C and D. The longitudinal pockets or cells are individually exclusive and independent of each other except for a connecting passageway along the bottom edge of the longitudinal pockets or cells. An air valve 27 is provided in the connecting passageway 25 for charging the plurality of longitudinal pockets or cells, A, B, C and D. Along the horizontal medial line through the air pocket section there is provided minute or bleeder orifices 1, 2, 3 between air pockets or cells A, B, and B, C, and C, D, respectively, for reasons which will presently appear.

The front flap 15 is formed into an equal number of longitudinal air pockets or cells of like construction as the construction described for rear fiap 16.

In operation a trout fisherman will Wear the present life saving waders in the normal way ordinary waders are worn. The waders chosen to be worn by the fisherman will provide that the connecting passageway 25 is above the fishermans center of gravity and by rule of thumb should lie above the torso or navel.

As the waders move into deeper water the water will rise to the height of dot and dash line H, thereby forcing the air upwardly in the individual pockets or cells. The bleeder orifices l, 2 and 3 will allow the air in the individual pockets or cells A, B, C, D to equalize to maintain an upright position of buoyancy. Should horizontal line H become inclined due to the wearer placing his body at an angle, then the water pressure will force air through the bleeder orifices from one pocket or cell to the adjacent pocket or cell so that the area of a pocket above the water line will contain buoyant air which air is received from the area of a pocket below the water line. That is, the force of the water forces buoyant air from the bottom of the longitudinal air pockets A, B, C, D to the top of these longitudinal air pockets. The area of the longitudinal air pockets created by front flap 15 is equal to the area of the longitudinal air pockets created by rear flap 16. The air pockets must be located above the center of gravity of the wearer to prevent the wearer from floating upside down should he trip in water while wearing the life saving Waders. As long as the lowest area of the air pockets is above the navel of the wearer the longitudinal air pockets will be located above the center of gravity.

Having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example, it should be realized that structural changes could be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. Life saving waders, comprising a body portion and a limb enclosing portion integrally formed with said body portion, said body portion having an opening at arm pit height, a pair of shoulder straps, means securing said pair of shoulder straps to said body portion, said body portion having a front flap, and a rear flap located 0,- posite said front flap, in spaced apart relation and in the upper part of said body portion, means fastening said front flap to said body portion and interiorly thereof to form a front air pocket section, means fastening said rear flap to said body portion and interiorly thereof to form a rear air pocket, means fastening saidfront flap to said body portion to divide said front air pocket section into a plurality of individual air pockets having a common bottom air passageway, a plurality of bleeder orifices located on a horizontal medial line through said front air pocket connecting said plurality of air pockets, means fastening said rear flap to said body portion to divide said rear air pocket into a plurality of individual air pockets having a common bottom air passageway and a plurality of bleeder orifices located on a horizontal medial line through said rear air pocket connecting said plurality of rear air pockets.

2. Lifesaving waders comprising integrally formed limb and body enclosing portions, said body portion terminating in an entrance opening beneath arm pit height, and straps for holding the Waders in position, buoyant air containing sections at the upper part of the body portion in substantially opposed and spaced apart relationship, each of said sections comprising a plurality of air containing cells formed by a flap folded over from the upper edge of the body portion and interiorly thereof and means by which said flap adheres to the body portion at the free edges thereof and at areas between cells,

means through which air may be introduced into the sections, and a bleeder opening between the cells.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Brenner June 13, 1961 

2. LIFESAVING WADERS COMPRISING INTEGRALLY FORMED LIMB AND BODY ENCLOSING PORTIONS, SAID BODY PORTION TERMINATING IN AN ENTRANCE OPENING BENEATH ARM PIT HEIGHT, AND STRAPS FOR HOLDING THE WADERS IN POSITION, BUOYANT AIR CONTAINING SECTIONS AT THE UPPER PART OF THE BODY PORTION IN SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSED AND SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF AIR CONTAINING CELLS FORMED BY A FLAP FOLDED OVER FROM THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BODY PORTION AND INTERIORLY THEREOF AND MEANS BY WHICH SAID FLAP ADHERES TO THE BODY PORTION AT THE FREE EDGES THEREOF AND AT AREAS BETWEEN CELLS, MEANS THROUGH WHICH AIR MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO THE SECTIONS, AND A BLEEDER OPENING BETWEEN THE CELLS. 